Keeping the Secret: The Stork Job
by AyLee Cambell
Summary: Parker/Eliot. Has a few spoilers, mostly for the stork job. What if there was something going on in the background that none of us knew about, that the team didn't know about. Something Parker and Eliot want to keep a secret from the others.
1. Before the Job

Keeping it Secret

By: AyLee Cambell

So this hasn't been beta'd and it's my first Leverage fic, but it just popped into my head and practically wrote itself. I like Parker/Eliot, I just see something between them and it gives me ideas... so I had to post it. I hope you all enjoy! May be a little OOC but I tried.

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The others really didn't need to know about them. They were beginning to trust them, sure, but that didn't mean they were about to spill all their secrets and this was one that they were even more guarded about than almost any other secret they each had.

No one on the team needed to know that they had been together for over 3 years. They had met on a job that had turned badly for both of them. He had been sent to retrieve something from a group of private and dangerous men and she had seen something they had that she wanted and went to steal it.

They had been locked together for 4 days before they escaped, both either too drugged or in too much pain to escape before hand. The fact that they only had each other to talk to and had to trust each other to escape had gave them a connection neither had wanted at the time.

But eventually, once they'd gotten free they had acted on the 'feelings' they had built up. Both believing that they could get the other out of their system after one night. One long and fantastic night.

They'd both been wrong. All that night had left was a craving for the other that was hard to deny. Especially to two people who rarely denied themselves what they wanted.

Meeting in cities they couldn't pronounced whenever they were close to each other became habit more and more until it was no longer a habit but something they both planned out. She found herself pulling jobs and finding things that caught her eye close to where ever he had been sent out to retrieve something and he found himself accepting more jobs where he knew she would be.

They'd gone through ten months of this before they had finally realized what was happening. When they had met for the seventh time to have dinner before they found somewhere semi-private to have their fun.

Once they accepted it things got both harder and easier. They were in a relationship. It made planning things out and communicating go smoother but both had to fight their trust and loner issues. They weren't used to relying on anyone, needing anyone else and it took a lot for them to ignore the instincts they had honed for years.

But when she had gotten shot she'd only had one person she could call. That she could even think to call. Some jobs were more dangerous than others, mostly because she enjoyed the challenges and money they brought her. But this one had been purely for the money and maybe for that rush of danger. But it had turned deadly when some of the information turned out to be wrong. Rookie mistake but something that couldn't be helped in the situation.

Luckily he'd been close by and rushed to help her. Though she'll never forget his face when he saw her lying in her room in her own blood. It was the first clue both of them had gotten that what they had was something pretty serious. That there was real feelings involved, and they were starting to go pretty deep.

He'd cussed as he stitched her up, worried about the blood loss and pissed when she insisted she was fine or would be fine as soon as he finished. It didn't help when she told him she'd had worse.

That night was the first time it was slow and gentle. The first time they couldn't lie to themselves that it was nothing more than lust or attraction that fueled their actions. They had known they cared before, just buried it in denial and they couldn't do that anymore.

He told her that she shouldn't take so many risks, told her she was crazy.

She laughed and told him he was too.

Both their lives were dangerous but they both knew they weren't going to give it up. Not yet, not even for each other. Feelings didn't overwrite a whole lifetime of their histories and they both knew that the other one wasn't going to give it up for the other. It was a relief that they understood each other in this respect. Promised that they would each be more careful in their lives and in their jobs. They both knew it was dangerous but they'd at least try for each other, and that was more than they had really been doing before.

Then a year or more later they were both hired for the same job. It felt weird, accepting a job where they would be working together. But they did it, mostly to try it out and see how it felt to have the other right there the whole time.

It made her feel safe in a way she hadn't felt in a long time, made her feel a little more alive. Which was why she couldn't help but run and jump off the building with a whoop before it was time. She couldn't hold herself back.

Vaguely she could hear him commenting that she was crazy. Something about pounds and bags. She knew the crazy part was his reminder for her to behave herself since he couldn't directly say anything to her and she reminded herself to be on guard.

Things had worked out so well, except for the last bit, but even that had gone smooth at the end. Taking the elevator down and changing into business wear for their escape had been golden. During the ride down she had felt his gaze on her several times, the first was when she had pulled her shirt off and she knew he'd snuck peeks during her change even if he had pretended to look away. Mostly she had done it to tease him since he couldn't react to her without blowing their secret.

Then they had gone their separate ways only to met back up in another location.

The next morning though their money hadn't come through and they had called the man that hired them and demanded the reasons why not. He'd told her that he'd go in first, make sure it wasn't a set up and that she was supposed to watch and come in last or get out of their if anything suspicious happened.

Watching the two others come in first she made up her mind and entered after them, pulling out her gun and seeing what the situation inside was. Coming to a stop when she reached his side she listened as they were told it was a trap and then they were all running for the exits, barely making it in time.

After that it was all about the revenge. Well, and the money too, okay, mostly for the money.

Once they did that though it felt too good working together and working with the others to just walk away. But they didn't have much of a choice, since it seemed like the others weren't sure if they could work together.

They'd went their separate ways only to get called back when they got another job set up. Then they figured it would be a little more permanent than they figured.

Now they had to worry that the others might find out about them. Through the little things since they hid the big things. Everyone in their little group was smart at watching the signs. So they pretended to not care or ignore each other.

But then they would always try to sit by or stand by each other or have some small contact or even just say something to the other. He called her crazy and she just laughed because she knew he meant it in a fond way.

But then the horse job came up and it involved an old flame of his. Which had been somewhat hard on her. She wasn't used to sharing what was hers but in this situation she had to or it would have looked suspicious and caught the other's attention. That much anger toward an ex meant that there was still feelings there and if he hadn't acted on it the others would have wanted to know why which would have made them all look closer at his actions.

It had been hard on her, and not just because of the horses. But she had gotten through it and the others had taken her quietness as either part of her personality or because of her fear. Either way, they hadn't looked too hard at her which she was grateful for. Though she had lost her composure once during the job. When they had asked her to crawl through the shaft so she could unlock the door for them and she hadn't wanted to. Because of the horses and because it was the other woman who wanted her to do it.

But than he asked her, asked her to do it for him and she couldn't say no. Even if she wanted to at that moment. She just couldn't. So she had snarked and moaned about it a little while crawling through the shaft and had been thankful she hadn't said anything incrimination before he reminded her that they could hear her.

But after that job and some heavy groveling from him they had been back on track. After all he wasn't in the habit of lying to her and she had all but demanded that he sleep with his ex so no one else caught on to them. He hadn't wanted to at first, telling her that his past was just that but she had told him he needed to do it, even if she had regretted telling him to afterwards she knew that it had been necessary for both of them.

Then came the other jobs and they did a good job hiding it, they were still hiding it. Willing to trust the others with themselves but not with the knowledge of them. Not until they were sure it wouldn't change anything or damage their relationship.

The others thought they went to two separate places at the end of the day and they really wanted to keep it that way.

Now they were getting prepared for their next job and he was making sure she was alright. He knew about her time growing up. They'd done they swapping of childhood and youth, and later years after being together for two years and he knew it was hard for her. She had seen him looking at her while she told the others about the kid, pointing out the signs that made it obvious that he was an orphan. She knew he'd wanted to take her hand but hadn't dared to with the others watching her so instead he tried to act like it wasn't the big deal that it was for her.

But later when they were getting ready to leave he had made sure she was okay, held her for a few minutes while she tried to bury the feelings this job was stirring.

She also knew he wanted her to promise that she wouldn't do anything crazy but knew he knew better than that. He wouldn't listen to reason sometimes on some issues and had come to recognize that she was the same way. This was one of those issues that she would have to work out on her own and couldn't make promises about.

So instead he just looked at her and pulled her close. "No matter what you make sure you get out alive, got it?" he asked her. "Do what you have to Parker but make it out of there in one piece."

Pulling back she looked up at him, kissed him on the lips gently then pulled back and picked up her bag, ready to go.

"I will Eliot, I will."


	2. After the Job

Honestly I didn't think I would be writing anymore on this one. I thought if I wrote anything else it'd be something brand new but after watching the new episode and the first part in my head this attacked me throughout the whole episode until I sat down and wrote it. So it's a little follow up. Happens right after 'the stork job' so beware that they're are some spoilers.

Hope you like it. Let me know if you do. Who knows, next week might mean another part.

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"You could have told me what you were up to. I would have tried to talk you out of it but when that didn't work I would have helped you. You took years off my life when we realized you were gone." He told her when they escaped from the others and were on their own without any worries that the others could see or hear.

Parker shook her head. "You would have thrown me over your shoulder to get me out of there and you know it." She told him. "Besides the others would have wondered why you were suddenly going along with me when everyone agreed it was too crazy."

"You stuck a fork in a guy Parker, everyone was a little worried. Hell the others thought you'd left us all there and ran off. But even if it was crazy I would have helped you if you asked me to, you know that. I just hated knowing that you were in danger and I was no where around to help you, that you didn't come to me when you felt the need to do this. We're a team, more than a team, baby, and I need you to come to me instead of running off on your own like that. Do you know how badly you scared me? I was left to wonder if we'd get there on time, what we would find, and how the hell I was supposed to pretend that everything was fine as we rushed to your rescue." He told her.

"You got there exactly when I needed you, you always do." She told him, stepping closer. "And you may not have been there but you still helped me. I had to fight a little to get the kids out of there, I used the moves you taught me, drilled into my memory. So see, even when your not there you still keep me safe." She said, wrapping her arms around him.

"I know I'm not easy. I'm screwed up Eliot. All I could think when he was talking about the orphans was how I felt when something like that happened to me and he was so caviler about it. He didn't see a problem with it and I couldn't help myself. I had to do something and the fork was right there. I know I scared and worried everyone but I'm not used to having others depend on me. I'm sorry I'm so crazy sometimes, so messed up but I can't help it. I don't work like other people do." She said, burying her head into his chest.

His arms tightened around her. "I'm used to your crazy by now Parker, it's one of the things about you that never get's old. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me guessing. Just another part of you and if I didn't like the whole package I would have been out of here a long time ago. I just want to know that your going to be okay."

Parker pulled back to look up at him, then smiled impishly up at him. "Yep, surprisingly stabbing someone with a fork than saving a bus full of orphans and getting some ice cream seems to have a therapeutic effect on me. I'm feeling better already."

He laughed. "Well I'm glad about that then." He told her.

"By the way, a lesbian bar? Couldn't you have thought up something better than that?" She asked him.

"He caught me off guard. I didn't think the truth was a good thing, especially when it's that you caught me off guard in our sparring session and got in a few hits." He said, looking down at her.

"I said I was sorry about that." She told him.

"Right." He said than picked her up and moved to his hotel room's living room and tossed her onto his couch before he collapsed on it himself. Now it was time for him to relax, just like he had told the team.

The whole group was still in Paris for a few days and he had told the other's he had wanted to have some alone time. Parker had done what Parker usually did and just disappeared before they could ask her if she wanted to go out with them.

That had left Nate, Sophie, and Hardison to explore the city. Though he figured Hardison had probably called it a night too, not wanting to be a third wheel to the Nate-Sophie ride. But since he was on a separate floor they weren't too worried that he'd come looking for either one of them. If he did though it would most likely be to hang out with Parker and since she wasn't in her room they were safe.

"You got the bug out of your shoes right?" He asked her, just thinking about it.

"Yeah, Hardison told me about it when we got back on the bus. I gave it back to him instead of smashing it since it helped me out but I'm going to have to be more careful from now on. Who knows what he could plant next." She said.

"He has a crush on you." Eliot told her as he scooted down so his head rested in her lap and he could look up at her.

Parker rolled her eyes. "Even I started to pick up the signs." She told him. "Why do you think I ran to tell Nate we had to make an ice cream stop? The moment was slightly uncomfortable. He's a good friend though and we work well together so hopefully it'll fade." She mused.

Looking down at him she smirked slightly. "So how did it feel to flirt with an older Sophie?" She asked than pinched him and ignored his protest. "That's for the 'hasn't stopped me before' comment." She told him.

"Yeah, alright." He told her, rubbing the spot. "Weird, but nothing I couldn't handle, especially with Sophie and Nate telling me what to do to win her over. After that it was pretty easy." He told her.

Eliot closed his eyes, taking everything that had happened in the past few days.

"Next time come to me Parker, even if it's just so I can throw you over my shoulder to get you out of there. We both know that if you really want to do something I can't stop you, but let me help next time." He said.

Parker looked down at him, running her fingers through his hair. "I'll try. I really will, though you're going to have to deal with all the other crazy stunts and things I do if I come to you with whatever I don't think I can handle." She told him seriously.

"Just try and I'll try too. That's all I ask." Eliot told her and opened his eyes to look into hers.

She smiled and nodded then shrieked when sat up and pulled her over his shoulder and carried her out of the room again. Only this time he headed to his bedroom.

Parker huffed and smacked him in the ass but couldn't help but grin. If this was where he carried her away to every time she got in over her head she might have to make a habit out of it. Then again, they ended up there often enough that they didn't need the danger for an excuse.

Either way they both got what they wanted and they were learning to lean on each other a little more every time.

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Please review!


	3. Author Note

Author's Note!!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I decided to continue this and go back and start from the Nigerian Job and work from there. I'm working on a couple of things for the Keeping it Secret verse, including their meeting but I wanted to do at least something for every episode. So go check it out and tell me what you think. I'm putting this one down as finished and I'll be adding chapters to Keeping the Secret instead. (Since this is now Keeping the Secret: The Stork Job.) Just thought I'd let everyone know!

So go check it out and please review and let me know what you think. Thank you.

-AyLee


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